The Burden
by Vanilla Owns Chocolate
Summary: Rose Quartz is going to have a baby soon, and she knows she won't be around afterwards. Garnet finds herself struggling to accept her new role as leader of the Crystal Gems. (oneshot, rated M for mild descriptions of birth and body horror)


Garnet had always been loyal to Rose.

That went without saying, of course; they all were. It was hard not to be after everything they had been through together. Even Amethyst, who hadn't been around during the war, felt indebted to Rose for taking her in.

But Garnet wasn't like Amethyst or Pearl. She was different; a cross-Gem fusion like her was considered deplorable to Homeworld. After becoming a Crystal Gem, she found freedom in Rose's company.

She poured her heart into what remained of the army. The war was over, but so much had been lost that Garnet hardly considered it a true victory. The Diamonds left Earth alone, but at the expense of all of her former friends and allies...except Rose and Pearl.

Garnet knew that she could not accurately predict the future, but Rose somehow managed to surprise her all the time. Whenever a situation seemed too dire, whenever her future vision screamed at her that they were all going to die, Rose found a way out. Though she had known her for thousands of years, Garnet considered Rose an enigma.

And having a child was perhaps the most unexpected thing she had ever done.

Garnet remembered the announcement well. It was a mild, breezy day, the tide relatively calm. She was staring out at the sea, scanning her future vision for any potential threats. Fortunately, it looked like it was going to be another calm day in Beach City.

"Garnet?" came Rose's voice from behind her, tender yet cautious. "May I speak to you for a moment?"

The fusion turned to look at her, eyebrows raised beneath her shades. Rose was smiling at her, but something seemed off about the way she was trying to present herself. She looked guilty, as if she had just said something wrong. Garnet may not have seen this in her visions, but she knew bad news when she saw it.

"Sure." she responded nonchalantly, her voice just as monotone as always. She figured that whatever it was Rose had to tell her was probably minor; she always came to her for love advice and was perhaps concerned about Greg again.

Rose breathed a sigh and sat down on a rock near the shore. Garnet sat down next to her, and for a while they sat like that, watching the waves lap lazily over the sand. The pink Gem stuck her hand into the water, playing with the wet sand beneath the surface.

"It really is beautiful here." she remarked dreamily. Garnet restrained a chuckle. Rose was always like that, getting sidetracked by the slightest things about Earth.

"It should be uneventful today." the taller Gem put in, adjusting her shades. "I didn't see any problems."

Rose nodded and slowly withdrew her hand, watching the damp grains of sand tumble through her fingers and plop back into the water. She looked wistful as usual, but the guilt from before still shone in her eyes.

"I love Greg." Rose said abruptly, breaking their awkward silence. "I think he's the one, Garnet. I think...I think I want to be with him forever."

Garnet smiled. "Well, you'll be happy to know that there's a long future ahead of both of you."

For a moment, the fusion thought she saw tears in Rose's eyes, but they were gone as soon as she blinked. "That's nice," the Quartz said sadly. "But I'm afraid it's not going to be possible."

Garnet's lips set into a line. Of course, Rose would ultimately live longer than Greg; he was a human, after all.

"Don't worry." she assured the pink-haired Gem. "You'll be very happy together, even in the end. You'll give him peace."

"No." Rose said insistently, turning to face her. Her smile was gone now, replaced with a look of grief. "No. I can't. Not now. Not now that I've…" She broke off, her voice catching in throat as she bit back tears.

Garnet was truly concerned now. Did Greg and Rose break things off? Without thinking, she put a soft hand on the Quartz's pale shoulder.

"It's alright, Rose." she said, taking on a more reassuring tone. "What happened? Did he hurt you?" She couldn't imagine a man as good-natured and cheerful as Greg being cruel, but she knew for a fact that the future contained limitless possibilities.

Rose laughed, a choked, pained laugh that came out forced and restrained. "Far from it."

Garnet tilted her head, her obscured eyes showing more emotion than her mouth when she asked, "Then what…?"

"Greg and I are going to have a baby, Garnet."

The fusion froze, a rush of emotions and questions flooding her mind. She felt as if she were thrust into darkness, her third eye unable to see into the future any longer. The only thing she could manage to splutter out was, "H-how?"

Rose sighed and twirled a finger through her curly pink hair. "It's...complicated. I had to shapeshift a human reproductive system in order to carry the child inside of me."

Garnet, her shades no longer hiding her panic, spoke up shakily. "And how long will it take for the baby to be born?"

Rose was silent for a long time. Finally, without looking at Garnet, she said, "Nine months."

In a flash, Garnet's heart dropped into her stomach. She didn't need future vision to know what happened to Gems who stayed shapeshifted for too long. The stress of holding such a form for too long, combined with the effort of having to carry a child...

"No," the fusion mumbled, her glasses falling off and evaporating. "Rose, you can't. It's too dangerous. You can't sustain that form, and-"

"I know what I'm doing, Garnet." the Quartz said sharply. "I will die. The child will live. After that...you'll just have to go on without me."

"But we can't!" Garnet exclaimed, her eyes straining in an effort to _see,_ to find some way to prevent this from happening. "We need you, Rose! You've fought alongside us for millennia! Without you, who will lead the Crystal Gems?"

For the first time in the conversation, Rose turned to look Garnet directly in the eyes. She took her hands, pointing their palms upward to expose the gemstones that adorned them. "You will."

Garnet stared, wide-eyed. "Me?"

Rose nodded. "Yes. That's why I decided to tell you first. Once I'm gone, Pearl and Amethyst are going to need somebody to be there for them."

"Rose..." Garnet said, tears rising to her eyes. "I can't lead them. I'm nothing like you."

For a moment, Rose let out a genuine chuckle. "You don't need to be like me. You just need to be you."

Garnet didn't respond. She simply looked down at her gemstones, contemplating every word. Rose hesitated before continuing.

"You're everything a leader should be, Garnet. Fair, composed, analytical, and caring. You're _strong;_ stronger than me, even."

Garnet looked away. "No amount of physical strength will be able to take your place."

Rose stared at her for a while before abruptly pulling her into a hug. "No, Garnet. You're strong in the _real_ way."

Garnet felt her resolve break. Drawing in a shaky breath, she forced her form to stay together as the tears trailed down her cheeks.

* * *

She could tell when Pearl had heard the news.

Garnet was still sitting, frozen, on the beach when Pearl exited the temple. She was looking down, trembling as she walked, until she collapsed next to Garnet and began sobbing into her arm. The fusion said nothing. She had to be strong, for her teammates.

When Amethyst found out, she too had left the temple. She was also looking down, but her expression seemed to be one of both anger and sadness. She kicked the sand beneath her feet before plopping down on Garnet's other side and solemnly linking her arm through hers. She buried her face into the taller Gem's side to hide her tears, but Garnet felt them, warm and wet and coming out with quiet breaths.

Rose didn't leave the temple at all. Garnet suspected she was in her room, silently playing with the pink clouds that seemed to stretch on for miles. She wished Rose was here, but she couldn't. She had to focus on other things now, like Greg, like the baby, like trying to maintain her form.

Garnet didn't say a single word, not even when Pearl stood up, wiped away her tears, and retreated back into the temple. Not even when Amethyst stood up in a frustrated huff and followed her, going into her own room. Not even when she was all alone again, the sun setting on the waves before her, her thoughts swirling into a maelstrom of confusion, mourning, and anxiety.

She didn't go back into the temple that night.

* * *

As the months went by, Rose tried to stay positive.

It almost worked, sometimes. She would joke and laugh and talk excitedly about the baby, and for a minute the Gems seemed to forget about her imminent doom and enjoy spending time with her. But then she would double over in pain mid-laugh, holding up an arm to prevent her friends from helping her up, and mumble a half-hearted apology. After that, the conversation would get awkward again, each Gem thinking the exact same thing: Rose was going to die.

Garnet had to make an intense effort to stay fused. Sometimes, when she was on the verge of losing her composure in front of everyone, she could feel Ruby and Sapphire crying out inside her head, but she forced them to stay together with all her might. She had to be strong, for Pearl, for Amethyst, for Rose, for the child.

Whenever Rose brought Greg over now, he was met with colder reception. Pearl would shoot him dirty looks whenever Rose was busy. Amethyst's words to him were short and brief; she even started visiting him less, which she used to do whenever Rose was busy on a mission. When she stopped going to see him altogether, it was evident that there had been some sort of falling-out, but Garnet did not question her. She had her own problems to deal with.

Her future vision was coming back, but what she saw made her feel ill. Rose's pain was only going to get worse, and she would refuse to give up. Sometimes, the other Gems would try to talk her out of it, but no matter how far Garnet looked, she saw no chance of Rose heeding their advice. She was determined to have a baby, regardless of the cost.

She could not see anything beyond the next eight months. She had no idea how humans gave birth, so her future vision was limited in that regard. She only saw Rose collapsing in agony, Greg panicking, Pearl and Amethyst not knowing what to do.

Unfortunately for them, though she would try to hide it, Garnet was just as clueless.

* * *

When the day finally came, Garnet looked away when it happened.

Sure enough, everything was just as predicted. Greg yelped and rushed to Rose's side, begging her to speak to him. Pearl let out a cry of fear, and even Amethyst looked genuinely afraid for Rose's well-being.

Garnet simply felt hollow. She knew this day would come, growing accustomed to seeing it play out in her mind. She wanted to feel sad, but the entire nine-month experience had left her emotionally drained. She just closed her eyes and prayed for it to be over soon.

Greg insisted on taking Rose to a human hospital. At first, Pearl and Amethyst got defensive, but Garnet found herself speaking up coldly. "He knows what he's doing." she said. "We're not humans. He is."

"Yeah, but Rose isn't!" Amethyst snapped. "Maybe Gem-birth is different or something!"

"Gems can't give birth!" interjected Pearl, tears running freely down her cheeks. "Don't you get it?! That's the whole problem! We can't let her leave the temple! What if something bad happens?"

"Something bad IS going to happen to her if we don't get her to a hospital!" Greg said worriedly. Soon, the three of them were arguing, and Garnet watched in horror and disgust as Rose trembled violently on the floor.

"ENOUGH!" the fusion cried out, forcing everybody to look at her. "Rose fought long and hard to have this baby! If we don't get her the help she needs, her sacrifice will be in vain! Do you want that?!" She glared hard at Pearl and Amethyst, her gaze searing through her glasses and forcing them to hang their heads in shame.

Greg sighed and gently supported Rose with his arm. "Come on. We gotta get there fast."

* * *

They didn't make it.

They were halfway there, Greg's van going as fast as the speed limit would allow it, Rose groaning in the passenger seat. Suddenly, a sharp scream erupted from her, causing Greg to whip his head towards her.

"Rose?! Are you okay?!" he asked tearfully. The Quartz simply smiled up at him faintly.

"Greg," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "you did a fantastic job."

"No," the man said, grasping her hand tightly. "Rose, you can't go now. We're almost there!"

"I'm...sorry, Greg..." she responded, clenching her eyes shut in anguish. By now, the cars behind them were honking their horns furiously, and Greg was forced to pull over. He ordered the Gems to move from their seats in the back so that Rose had a place to lie down, and they complied solemnly.

By now, Pearl was sobbing loudly, holding on to Amethyst for support. Raising a weak hand, Rose pulled Greg close and kissed him deeply. "I love you," she whispered.

Gradually, Rose called each of them over one by one for their final goodbyes. The baby would be coming soon, but she felt obligated to at least say something to her teammates before her fate was sealed. When she called Garnet over, the fusion removed her sunglasses to look at her one last time.

"Garnet..." she said, hardly audible now. "Please...remember...take care of them..."

"I will." Garnet said, choking on her words. "I promise. I'll be strong for you."

Rose breathed a sigh, a look of peace crossing her face. "Strong in the real way."

No sooner did the words leave her lips than she began shrieking in agony. Greg gasped and immediately knelt between her legs.

"What are you doing?!" Pearl cried.

"I-i think I'm about to deliver a baby!" Greg replied, panic radiating from him. "B-but I don't know how!"

Pearl turned away, too appalled and overcome with despair to watch. Amethyst followed her lead, her expression unreadable as she covered her face with her hair.

But Garnet couldn't avert her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, her gaze was fixated on Rose, who was actually beginning to turn _transparent._ Greg was freaking out at this point; he had an average knowledge of biology, but he knew humans didn't do that when they gave birth.

Garnet watched in horror as Rose began to fade away, and (much to her disgust) her gemstone began to move. It slid down her stomach, towards the area between her legs where Greg was trying to focus. If Garnet had a stomach, she would have thrown up.

The sound of crying began to fill the area, but it wasn't familiar at all. Garnet realized with terror that the baby was emerging from that _area_ between Rose's legs, and the gemstone that formerly rested on Rose's belly was trying to meet the infant as it came out.

It was too much. The baby was crying and Greg was crying and Amethyst and Pearl were crying and there was a flash of light and oh, oh, Garnet couldn't stop herself from coming undone, her form vanishing along with Rose's as Ruby and Sapphire finally broke apart.

And just like that, it was over. Rose was gone, Garnet was gone, and in their place were three new beings. Greg held the baby in his arms, frozen, not saying anything. Ruby and Sapphire held each other tightly, their eyes clenched shut. Quiet sobs escaped them both.

"It's a boy." Greg said, pain and wonder lacing his voice. The baby was still crying, but everybody else was dead silent. One by one, each Gem forced themselves to turn around and look at the child in Greg's arms.

He was smaller than any human any of them had ever seen, even smaller than Vidalia's baby from years ago. He appeared to be wet, covered in some sort of unrecognizable fluid. His most significant feature, however, was the bright pink gemstone on his stomach.

"Rose?" Amethyst said hoarsely, brushing away a strand of hair to get a better look. "What happened?"

"I think..." Greg's voice shook. "I think the baby inherited her gem."

"So..." Pearl inquired, a sliver of hope in her words, "is he just another Rose Quartz?"

"No." Greg said firmly, hugging the child close to him. The cries were getting softer now, the baby's tiny eyes fluttering with exhaustion. "He's not another Rose. He's his own person, and his name is Steven."

* * *

The waves were calm. Too calm.

Ruby kicked the ground at her feet furiously. "It's not fair!" she yelled, wiping her eyes in frustration. "It just isn't fair!"

Sapphire said nothing. She didn't even appear to be listening. She just stared at the ocean, the moonbeams flickering over the water.

"Leader!" Ruby erupted again, her fist slamming into a rock. "How are we supposed to lead?! We can't do this, Sapphire! Rose is gone, replaced with some baby with a gem!"

Sapphire lowered her head. Her silence proved to be even more troubling to Ruby, who groaned and plopped down next to her on the sand.

"What are we gonna do?" the red Gem asked weakly.

"...I don't know." Sapphire responded, her voice breaking ever so slightly. "I have no idea what to expect." By now, she could no longer hold in her emotions, and Ruby quickly rushed to embrace her.

"I don't know!" Sapphire sobbed. "I _should_ know, but I don't! I never foresaw any of this!"

"Hey, hey," Ruby said soothingly, "it's not your fault, Sapphy! You know how Rose is- er, _was_." The feeling of referring to her friend in the past tense made Ruby misty-eyed again, and she clutched Sapphire tighter. "She always did what she wanted, remember?"

Sapphire didn't respond. She just cried quietly into Ruby's arms, and it wasn't long before the red Gem was shedding tears of her own. They held each other desperately, relying on each other for strength. That was the beauty of their relationship; as long as they had each other, they knew they were never truly alone.

But for the first time in thousands of years, they _did_ feel alone. Even though they were right beside each other, they couldn't fathom the strange feeling of emptiness that permeated the air.

 _After all,_ Garnet reflected once she had fused again, _how can I be the leader if I can't even keep it together?_


End file.
